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Finding Greatness: Heather Johnson

MGA senior Heather Johnson is interning with NewTown Macon to help preserve local history.

Full Name: Heather Nicole Johnson.

Age: 26

Hometown and Residence: Forsyth.

High School: “I graduated from Mary Persons High School in 2009. I was involved with the yearbook staff and a member of the Color Guard team.”

Family: “I have a two year old son named Lucas, who is my whole world. My parents (Randy and Patricia) and my siblings (Joshua and Rachel) are my support system and without them I would not be completing my degree.”

Current Employment: “I am a peer tutor at the Department of History and Political Science’s Study Center. I love having the opportunity to share my enthusiasm and love of history with fellow students.”

Degree Objective: Bachelor of Arts in History.

Class Rank: Senior.

Activities: “I currently intern for NewTown Macon to preserve the city’s historic relationship with the Civil Rights Movement. This work includes many hours sitting in front of a microfilm machine and rediscovering newspaper headlines from the Macon Telegraph, as well as rereading Macon Black and White by Dr. Andrew Manis, an MGA History professor, for the 10th time.”

Career Goals: “My ultimate goal is to obtain my Ph.D. and teach unsuspecting future students the wonders of history. I do not have a specific path, however, and I am just enjoying the journey by not limiting myself to possibilities along the way. This is partially why it has taken me six years to complete my degree but I never once changed my mind about becoming a professor.”

She chose Middle Georgia State University because … “It was local, the tuition was affordable, and I could receive an exceptional education from some of the most brilliant minds in the academic community.”

The greatest thing she discovered about Middle Georgia State was … “The ample opportunities provided by the University to help me achieve academic success. Needless to say, I became well aware of any and all tutoring services available and I know most of the library staff by first name. The number of books I have checked out from the library throughout my academic career is staggering.”

Her greatest academic experience so far as a Middle Georgia State student has been …
“Just being able to sit in the presence of professors and peers that I respect is a huge honor. Thanks to them, I am able to continually reshape my thoughts and perceptions of the world. I have to give a huge thank you to a few of the many professors who have inspired me including chair of the History and Political Science department, Dr. Matthew Zimmerman, my mentor, Dr. Charlotte Miller, my advisor, Dr. Stephen Taylor, my Research Seminar professor, Dr. Niels Eichhorn, as well as the genius Dr. Andrew Manis and the Tsarina herself, Dr. Carol Melton.”

To her, “greatness” means … “Staying true to yourself while achieving your goals. My motto is ‘work hard, stay humble.’ It reminds me that as I work meticulously on bettering myself, I should always reflect on how I can use those lessons to throw kindness around like confetti.”

One thing people would be surprised to learn about her is … “I volunteered as a reading literacy tutor for the former Morgan Elementary School in Bibb County during the academic year of 2015-2016. It was the most rewarding experience of my life and taught me that open minds and open hearts can open the doors to learning. In that moment, I was the student and the children were my teacher.”

In five years … “I have an open application with the National Park Service, and it would be a dream come true to work as a park guide. However, as long as I find a career that challenges me and supports myself and my son while I earn my Master of Arts in History, I will be happy and content. Personally, I can only hope that I have made a noticeable dent in my huge list of books I want to read.”